A LOVERAT footaller's bid to take legal action against Twitter backfired spectacularly after millions Tweeted about him just minutes after the move was announced.

The identity of the married Premier League star, who had an affair with Big Brother star Imogen Thomas, is protected by an injunction. But he was named on Twitter and his name - banned in the mainstream press - is common knowledge on social networking sites.

He is now attempting to use British law to sue the San Francisco-based Twitter claiming his privacy order has been breached and demanding the identity of the Tweeter who first identified him.

However the bid seems to have backfired spectacularly as Twitter usage showed that Tweeting about the footballer spiked spectacularly just minutes after news of the the plan broke.

Legal experts are also divided over whether British law can be used to sue an American firm, in America - but the High Court has given Twitter one week to disclose the information.

On Friday Britain's Lord Chief Justice said new measures to control social media were required.

He added: "People who peddle lies about others through using technology may one day be brought under control, maybe through damages, very substantial damages, maybe even injunctions.”

Earlier this week Liberal Democrat peer Lord Stoneham used parliamentary privilege to reveal details of an injunction concerning an affair of the former RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin.